SHLA is 1 of 14 mixed 11-19 Comprehensives in Milton Keynes. It is a small secondary school with approximately 680 students on roll, situated in Bletchley in a challenging context re high social deprivation, high FSM, high SEN and high student mobility. Although the population is rising generally in Milton Keynes, SHLA has always been challenging to recruit students.

SHLA joined Academies Enterprise Trust, AET, as a Sponsored Academy on 1st September 2012. It’s predecessor school was Leon School and Sports College. It has its own Leisure Centre and the Sports Facilities, including an indoor swimming pool, are extensive and bring in significant revenue.

In November 2013, the previous principal passed away suddenly after a short illness. An Executive Principal was appointed from a nearby AET school to support and oversee the Academy and aiding in stability. An assessment of SHLA judged it be vulnerable in many areas, not least in its standards and a section 8 inspection in July 2014 graded it to ‘Require Improvement’.

A lot of work has been achieved over the past 14 months with the Executive Principal and her outstanding school which has significantly support SHLA. An acting principal and new SLT are in place and new structures are now securing the future progress and standards at the Academy.

The purpose of this appointment is to appoint a substanstive and full time post holder, to continue to drive improvements up. The current acting principal has done an outstanding job in securing improvement and will remain at the academy in a Senior Vice Principal role. Although the Executive Principal will be overseeing the role after the appointment, it is anticipated that the Duston School in Northampton will continue to support in a variety of ways.

SHLA is a lively and vibrant Academy. The community is a very supportive one and parents are involved in all aspects of school life. The suitable and successful applicant will be one that is energetic, have high expectations, excellent communication skills and have expectational drive. It is a very rewarding role of someone to work in and with.

Key Priorities

The key priority for Sit Herbert Leon Academy over the next 12 to 24 months is to accelerate student progress and improve the quality for our learners. By making our best better and with education that is shaped for every child, this opportunity offers a challenging and exciting opportunity for the right candidate.